Darn cold here this morning at 24ºF/-4ºC but the sun will be up eventually. In the meantime, I have a warm furry creature lying on my feet. She doesn't care that my chenille robe is starting to look pretty tacky. Actually I must replace it soon in case I get early morning callers!

I'm pretty disgusted that my weight isn't moving and I darned well know why! Not enough veggies! That will have to be my focus over the next three days to get my mind in gear for my week away. I can't believe it's already past mid-November and here I am with no shopping done. When I am out West I may be able to shop for my DD, wrap in my hotel room and leave the gifts out there.

Claire is due here at eight to sort out the Country Christmas costumes and I have my painting class this afternoon so it'll be a hectic morning. Country Christmas is a one day Village Festival day with craft and bake sales, a chili cookoff, kids' activities and a Nativity Pageant in the evening that goes to all three Churches and ends at the stable at the Mill. I've always worked it but it's going to go on without me this year.

What's happening at your house this fine Monday morning?

__________________

Change isn’t easy. But if you don’t change, you stay the same, and where’s the fun in that?

It's cold, rainy, my workout clothes are in the wash, and Jake is home. I am so tempted to not go to Curves this morning. But I know I'll have a huge guilt trip if I don't, especially since I have to work off that cheesecake I had over the weekend!

Ruth, your day sounds busy, but fun! I hope you'll find time to get some Christmas shopping done while you're visiting your daughter. Are you getting excited about your trip?

Ruth- Wow another busy day for you... You are always one busy chick. Take some me time for yourself.

Cottage- Have fun at curves, you will feel great once you have gone.

Me- Not much feeling a little better today, I was sick the whole weekend. But still managed to get a little shopping done. Hopefully I will get some more done this weekend. I do need to get some wrap so I can start wrapping what I have. Only 35 days til xmas.

Have a great day chicks.

__________________

"The minute you settle for less than you deserve, you get even less than you settled for."

Life is busy here and I have been out here reading the boards but no time to pipe up but the motivator and DH got me up early this morning so I have afew extra minutes. I have a NSV that has happened. 1. I thought I was walking 2.5 miles in 50 minutes and I drove it found out it was 3 miles!!! A whole extra 1/2 a mile in the same time frame!

I also have some questions: 1. is ww flour Whole wheat?
2. It seems that there are some teachers on board I have 6 teachers to gift for Christmas would you mind sharing some ideas of the gifts you recieved that you liked and or used?
3. Is grandular splenda like the packets or is the grandular splenda better for baking? Has anyone used the brown sugar that is made from splenda? I want to do some holiday baking but I want some that I can eat too. Is it worth the cost to buy the splenda and bake with it or should I just eat 1 or 2 of what I make for the kids and deal with it?

Well 1/2 my crew is up and moving so I guess my few minutes are up. Hope everyone has a great day and a safe on too!!

Morning chicks,
I just finished making my gift list this weekend (for others, not me). I dropped about $400 online last night, my favorite way to Christmas shop, so I got a good start at least. I still feel like I'm way behind, and have a couple of people I don't know what to get for, so I'll have to ask for some ideas. I have to make the Christmas calendar for my MIL, ugggh! It's so time consuming. I started doing it years ago, a photo calendar with pix of the kids. She loves it and it's easy to mail, but now if I skip a year, I get all kinds of grief (like last year). DH changed our OS recently and now the calendar software I use isn't working, so I've got IT issues, as usual!

didn't sleep well last night so I'm cranky today and have my dumb telecon first thing this morning. I'm going to go drink some coffee and see if I can improve the mood!

__________________Life's a journey, not a destination.It's easier to stay on plan than to get back on plan.

Good Morning LadiesRuth You are always so busy but it always sounds like such fun, creative things. I'm envious of your talent.Cottage I know what you mean about the guilt trip. That's usually how I get myself going in the am.LC I'm glad you're feeling a little better but it's so crummy to get sick on the weekend.

Well I cleaned my house for about 10 hours yesterday and finished all the laundry. I'm going to count that as a workout because I am a little sore this morning. It's supposed to be 79 here today. It doesn't feel much like the holiday time with this weather and it's making it even harder to get my shopping done. I'm thinking gift certificates all around this year Have a great day everybody.

Ruth, I am SOOOO glad that you are starting to actually rest during your retirement...good for you on letting the Country Christmas go on without you!!! I'm sure it'll be fine. Aren't furkids the best? They do not give a what we look like or what style we are (or aren't) wearing. Hey, have you seen the robes at Bath and Body Works? I don't know if you have them anywhere near you, but they call them "The Softest ____ on earth!" and they aren't kidding! Definitely worth looking in to if you're in the market for a new robe! Don't stress about gifts! We didn't get any shopping done last year until we went to Ireland at the end of November/beginnning of December. Worked out just fine.

Cottage, you are a workout stud! I'm so proud of you for going even when things don't seem ideal. I hear you on cheesecake... I have some SBD-safe (but caloric) pumpkin cheesecake slices in the freezer and am taking one for after T-day dinner.

LC, no counting down days until Christmas until after the American Thanksgiving! Actually, I envy that you chicks can get started so early! There's something good in that... I'm so sorry you were sick! Hope you continue to feel better!

Hey, Phx! WW Flour is an abbreviation here for Whole Wheat flour. It works really well in bread and things that are heavier. For cakes and things that need to be lighter try "Whole Wheat Pastry Flour" or "White Whole Wheat Flour." It goes by both names, but it's actually just flour made from the whole kernel of a softer kind of wheat. Works well in baking. I used to be a teacher and my favorite Christmas gifts were personalized ornaments (with the kid's name on them), gift certs to places like Bath and Body Works, spas (for massages after tough days), or restaurants. Of course, I always adored home-made gifts from the kids, too. As for baking, granular Splenda is preferable to using the little packets. The Brown Sugar Splenda is actually not SBD-safe--it's a mix of 1/2 real brown sugar and 1/2 Splenda. That said, I sometimes use a tiny bit of real brown sugar in my baking--when it'll work out to a minute amount in each serving. I bake tons of things using Splenda and find it much easier to make SBD-safe treats and enjoy them fully without any fears of cravings than to nibble on some regular stuff. But it's up to you!

Schmoodle, I hear you on the calendar thing! That kind of thing happens to me all the time! Here's some ideas...what about using Microsoft's calendar templates for Office programs? I think some of them will let you make photo collages? Or, you could buy her a calendar from Current (or other places) that lets her put in the photos herself--and mail a couple to her each month, if that's easier for you? (two other options: here & here) Hope that helps and that the telecom goes really well! I'm working on my gift list today...good to hear that you finished yours!

Hey, Thin! The other day here it was about 70 and rainy and I thought, "Ahhh...this is California winter weather... " I hear you on 79 just not cutting it. Hope you get tons of stuff done anyway. Your cleaning sounds like a major workout!

Me:
Well, I got awfully sick just before the weekend. Sinus infection, sore throat, the works. DH and I went shopping on Saturday for our Christmas basket--we make up a basket of food and gifts for a needy family every year. It's a program through our church and it's grown to be my favorite part of the season! It was an entire day of shopping, though and both he and I were wiped after. Yesterday I meant to do a lot more, but I slept as much as I could other than church and RCIA meetings. In the evening, DH and I picked the cookies I'm going to make this year and my darling, darling H helped me plan out when I'm going to do what durinbg the next 4 weeks. I feel SOOOOOO much better now that I have a plan!

Off to the gym after work today and then home to enjoy some kind of veggie burgers and frozen veggies while getting my tasks for the night done (gotta check the calendar when I get home! )

BTW, we had a huge snow that started yesterday afternoon. It didn't stick for hours and hours, so everything was wet. When it did start to stick, it stuck to EVERYTHING! It's just gorgeous! Every single branch of every tree is outlined in snow. And best of all...the roads and walkways are clear! Hope everyone has a great day!

Morning ladies! hope everyone had a splendid weekend. I had a busy one so thats why I didn't drop in.

Ruth busy day you have. Enjoy your class

Cottage I too ate a lil off this weekend, on sunday I went to a bday party & had a small piece of cake & 3 scoops of ice cream & then later that night dh had desert since he didn't go to the party & I had 3 bites of his but other than that my eating was on plan

LC 35 days til christmas - I must get busy, Glad your feeling better.

PHX Congrats on the 3 miles - keep up the good work

Schmoodle such a lovely gift idea. Good luck on your software issue

Thin sometimes I think you can get a better workout cleaning & doing
laundry

Lost Hope your fridge is okay

Laurie snow what a pretty site. I wish it would snow here - what agreat christmas gift that would be.

Today I am starting my workout with dh on his bowflex I figured it was time to start with some resistant/weight training - wish me luck

__________________
“Jesus looked at them and said, "With man this is impossible, but not with God; all things are possible with God" (Mark 10:27)

Hi Ladies:
It's snowing here!! I still have my wooley hat on to stay warm! Every time i set an exercise/loss goal i get sick!
I've had a cold all month and now this crazy thing with my bp dropping causing me to Eat ALL the time. I'm starting iron pills today in the hopes of curbing the fridge monster
if the snow lets up I'm going to run to the grocery at lunch and get things for tday if not DH is going tonight! after he picks up our new (scratch and dent ) dryer
no time for personals took me forever to get this out
hope to write mor later!
Kier

It's still warm here but the high on Thanksgiving is supposed to be in the 40's with lows in the low 30's. I really prefer the warmth.

Brian and I got a lot of popcorn delivered yesterday but we still have a lot to deliver. Hopefully we can get some done before our den meeting tonight.

Last night Brian was enjoying helping his dad look at the Apartment Guide. It's going to be hard for his dad to find anything that he can afford and the first thing he needs to do is find a job.

We have decided we will join our friends for Thanksgiving. Brian likes to play with their son and it will give Robert a chance to talk to Michael and I can talk to Maria. We are not going to have our usual day after Thanksgiving big party where I usually fix a turkey and a ham. That party is why I have tomorrow off as vacation. I'll still take the day off work but I'll probably go shopping and to the gym for part of the day rather than hanging around the house where Robert is.

IIIIIIIIIIIIIII don't wanna work..... I just wanna bang on the drum all day......

I have a bit of spring fever (you heard me right) and don't feel like being inside today. I work today and tomorrow. High of 65 and sun today, high of 68 and sun tomorrow. Off Wed, and of course tomorrow night starts the rain, and then Wed-Thurs is the "Rain/Snow Likely." Ahhh, just in time for Thanksgiving. Wouldn't be November in Central IL without an ice storm/snow storm or 2.

Good news though! Ryan is off Thanksgiving! This means that HE can do the turkey and one of the sides, and I'll do the rest when I get off from work. Thank the good Lord!!!!

Ended up losing 1 lb of the 4 that I packed on last week. Still going to be good with my veggie soup, salads, and cheese until Thanksgiving. My TOM is coming (sorry Tom, hey, where has Kara been lately?) so my body keeps saying YOU'RE STARVING TO DEATH!!!!!! when really I'm not, my hormones just want to eat large quantities of chocolate.